Richmond Handmade Holiday

Happy Holidays!
The Richmond Craft Mafia is proud to present our 5th Annual Handmade Holiday Craft Show. We have the pleasure of teaming up with the Visual Arts Center of Richmond for a second year.

The Fifth Annual Handmade Holiday Craft ShowThe 5th annual Handmade Holiday is being held at the The Visual Arts Center of Richmond at 1812 Main Street, Richmond, VA 23220 Preview Party Friday: December 11th - 7pm to 10pm, offers first dibs on fabulous local handmade gifts. No tickets or invite required, just a suggested donation of $10 at the door to benefit The Visual Arts Center of Richmond (formally the Hand Workshop). There will be yummy holiday snacks and a cash bar for beer & wine with the music of Fan District Caroling Association. Free & Open to the Public Saturday: December 12th - 10am to 5pm, Buy local & handmade from some of Richmond's most talented indie crafters and designers. Our Awesome 2009 Vendors: Modern Atelier, Monkey Dog Studio, Jackson Sage, Crystal J, Bees Knees Studio, Modern June, Keen Designs, Twist Style, Tasha McKelvey, Nicole Lee Designs, Lark Studio, Sew Ono, Always Midnight, April Scott Kids, Avant-Gourde, Corey Marie Parkhill, Dawn Correspondence, DawnStitches, Dream Spiral Art, Eesome, Right Paw Left Paw, Flower Peddler Bath & Beauty, hershey is my baby, Historically Inspired Designs, Holly Camp Cards, Inspired Creations in Wood, Itty Bitty Press, Judeglass, Kelly Dietrich, KShonk Designs, My Precious Studio, oelle m., Oura Sananikone, Phil Barbato, popidiot, Pretty Silly Things, Shannon by Hand, Silver Tree Art, Sprouthead, the bead empress, The Cupcakery, ZouZou's Basement, and VISARTS Clay Guild. Click Here: Richmond Handmade Holiday

Decking the Halls

It finally happened I found my Christmas Spirit!  What do you think?  I just love the white garland and I still regret not buying lots and lots of it, what was I thinking?  I have lots of the Red Lace Chalk Cloth Table Runners in stock and ready for shipping, grab them up while they  last!!!    Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving Table

I have been thinking about my first Thanksgiving that I hosted, way back 1996. Don and I were newly-wedded-love-birds and I was working on the set of the movie Contact. What was I thinking I was working 6, 14 hour days a week?  But I did it, I pulled it off, I stressed over that meal for weeks, every detail carefully planned out.

Boy, how things have changed.  I may still work 14 hour days, but extensively planning a meal is long gone.  Heck, I didn't even have a turkey or my fix-ins until late Wednesday. Despite my, "I've got no turkey" mantra, the lack of turkey really didn't bother me that much, I have a very picky family, so, as long as I stick to the status quo I'm okay.   The hard part was finding time to get to the grocery.

But what I do love to fret over is the Thanksgiving Table. I love a good tablescape! What was I thinking?  I had nothing for this years table prepped. Well, nothing except a mind full of ideas and thankfully a studio full of fabric.

You may remember that I had wanted to make myself a new oilcloth tablecloth for the occasion but time and materials got away from me.  After making more than a dozen tablecloths for the Modern June holiday orders, I just didn't have it in me to make one for myself.  So, Wednesday evening I got started on something for our holiday, the rules were simple... NO SHOPPING and NO SEWING!

My inspiration was a page from the November issue of Country Living,  instead of craft paper I went with Chalk Cloth.  The minute I saw the photo I was reminded of an idea I had been meaning to do for over a year.   It was such an easy-peasy project, I really did love making it!   And it only took me 30 minute to complete.  Sweet, right? Check out the step-by-step instructions at my Oilcloth Addict Blog.

The morning of Thanksgiving I started setting the table and I realized that all my napkins were less than pretty, what to do... what to do? Make some of course. Within my fabric stash I found some lime, yellow and orange polka dot cottons that I then cut into 18" squares using my crimped rotary cutter.   A set of 8 napkins in less than 45 minutes, can't beat that!  Nothing fancy here, just fun!

Around mid-morning it took some time to get the table runner out and put it to work, this was really great for planning ahead, especially when your guests help get the food out. 

I have to say that the causal Thanksgiving Setting befuddled my In-Laws at first, I really wanted to make the point that this was a n0-stress holiday and we were all going to let go of the silly stuffiness that comes with the holidays. Once everyone knew the what the "black stuff" on the table wasn't a tablecloth pad that I had forgotten to top off with a crisp white linen, they all came around and we all spent over an hour scribbling away.  Now, that's a Thanksgiving we will never forget and that's it's all about, isn't it... making happy memories.

  

Drafting and Patterning tools

Drafting and Patterining tools!, originally uploaded by ModernJune.

I am so excited to have this wall completed. I started making patterns when I was 15 or 16, at a time when all I wanted in the world was to dress like Madonna. Surprisingly enough you couldn't find those styles in a suburban mall in Missouri, so I was left to my own devises... paper shopping bags, really cheap fabric and my Kenmore sewing machine.

Now, 25 years later, I still love making patterns. Every single Modern June product is handmade by me and my team of "Junies" from my own hand-drafted patterns!

National Tie One On Day™

National Tie One On Day™ has nothing to do with purchasing anything special or even driving!

Participation is simple. On the day before Thanksgiving, November 25th this year, pause in the preparation of your own meal, wrap a loaf of bread or other baked good in an apron, tuck a prayer or note of encouragement
in the pocket, and tie one on…an apron, of course! and deliver the wrapped bundle to someone without your bounty… a neighbor, friend or family member in need of physical or spiritual sustenance, a bit of recognition or just a kind word.

Last Minute Thanksgiving Sale!

Paris Flea Market Napkins 

Let's talk Turkey!  Next week is the big day but don't fret there is still time to get some great Modern June Housewares for the big day!  From now till Monday (Noon) we're offering you 25 % off of our fall products.  Shop early for best selection!  All items are in stock and will ship two day priority.

Fall Placemats

Woodland Toadstool Table Runner

 Chalk Cloth Table Runner with Orange Lace only

Handmade Christmas-ornaments!

You know we all did it, we took that Buy Handmade oath a few years back, but as time went by and the economy tanked we have had to do what we could to get by and still feed the babies.  But handmade doesn't cost an arm and a leg and it bets shopping the big box stores as much as we can.




We have a family tradition of giving the kids a special ornament each year, an ornament the represents their current interests.  I admit yesterday I was a Michael's checking out the selection and I realized I wasn't being true to the cause, so I have collected all the super cute-low cost Handmade Christmas Ornaments I could find.  They just happen to go with our best selling holiday item, the Red Lace Scalloped Tree Skirt and what will be under my tree this year.

From left to right, top to bottom... 1. Red Poinsettia Ornament by Butterfly Blue Designs $3.00 2. Holiday Ornament - Felt Cupcake - Christmas Merry and Bright Collection by Sugar Chic Baby $8.00 3. Amigurumi Strawberry Ornaments by anapaulaoli set of three for $18.00 4.Festive Owl Ornament by emily orpin $4.00 5. Tree or Gift Ornaments-Recycle-Upcycle Soda Can by loda set of 10 for $20.00 6.Beautiful Embroidered Red Work Christmas Ornaments by personal threads $4.00 7.Russian Nesting Doll Ornament by banner babe $4.00 8. Pair-Felt Mittens Ornaments-Red by aquaartstudio $7.50 a pair 9. Red, Green and White Scandinavian Inspired Baubles by Snowy Side Drive Set of 3 $20.00